Brooks Range 1100+ Miles

The Brooks Range is roughly 700 miles long, but my adventure isn’t stopping at there. I am planning on continuing roughly another 433 miles and angling down to Wales, Alaska.

Down to some specs.

I’ll be heading up to Barter Island on June 20th, 2018 (+/- 2 days). With climate change, people are claiming this to be the polar bear capital of the United States. From there, I will have a short paddle across the Beaufort Sea which is part of the Arctic Ocean. Still to research are my possible peaks to bag while thru-hiking. Off-shoots will mainly depend on the type of weather, and if I still have extra food before the next village. A couple of the mountains in mind at the start would be Mt. Chamberlin or Mt. Isto. Undetermined for years, supposedly Mount Isto is the highest peak in the range. My first resupply will be 177 miles at Arctic Village. My second resupply will be in Coldfoot after hitchhiking a little over 60 miles. The third resupply will be at Anaktuvuk Pass. A little over 600 miles in, I will be stopping and supplying at Ambler. Resupply stops after this will be Kiana, Noorvik, and a possible stop in Kotzebue if supplies get low. Then I will be off to Buckland angling towards Brevig Mission. Eventually, I will be ending the trip of a lifetime in Wales, Alaska.

Pre-Brooks Range Training

I have a couple things on mind to train for the Brooks Range expedition. With having the skeleton of this trip planned, I’ll be able to focus more on gear and techniques.

(1.) My main thought is finishing up my 2nd Triple Crown. OR

(2.) My second option is breaking the self-support speed record of the Arizona Trail.

Past Experience:

Misconceptions of hiking ideas and strategies made my first trail the most memorable.

I hiked 8 different months of the year on each of the 3 main trails. (PCT, CDT, AT) This has pushed my abilities and allowed me to relish the unseen beauties in every seasons. This is big, because lots of triple crowners nowadays don’t ever touch the snow. I’ve been eager for learning new ideas/ways and aiming for harder goals. Eager to go more places where few people have gone. In 2015, I started my thru-hiking with the Pacific Crest Trail and then thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail the same year. When 2016 rolled around, I completed my triple crown. I then continued and finished the Great Divide Trail, being roughly the 5th person ever to do both trails in a season. I capped off the year in November after hiking the Superior Hiking Trail. With being able to complete all my hiking goals so far, 2017 was the year to do something CRAZY. Why, because I’m still young and I may never get another chance. In 2017, I set the self-supported speed record of the Appalachian Trail, which was my main goal. My second goal of the year, the calendar triple crown didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted it. Roughly 10-12 people have ever accomplished the calendar triple. After hiking a little over 6,200 miles in 17′, I called it a year in November after consistently getting hit with storms. I pushed hard in my 2017 goals, yet I didn’t let “the rush” get in the way of meeting people and seeing the world’s beauty.